


Catch me when I Fall

by magicalmagic



Category: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: M/M, Poor Erik, bc being separated from people and mutant powers is Not Fun, charles helps him through it, erik is messed up, erik is metal deprived, here we discover the effects of extreme isolation folks, how i wanted the post prison scene to go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 20:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6024556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicalmagic/pseuds/magicalmagic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>It felt like he was drowning. For a second he could feel the iron in his blood, pulsating through his body for a moment of blessed silence. But then sounds assaulted his ears. Two rings rubbing together, the screech of an elevator descending, a metal tray hitting the ground, keys clicking together, hundreds of metal sounds clashing together in a symphony of sweet pain. It was too loud. Everything was so loud.</i>
</p><p>It's been ten long years in isolation, cut off from his powers. Erik doesn't adjust well. Charles tries to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Catch me when I Fall

There was metal, metal everywhere, and it was too much. Lights he knew weren't there flashed in front of his eyes, a ringing in his ears as his blood sang ‘IT'S BACK IT’S BACK IT’S BACK.' There was a lurching in his stomach, and he wanted to puke. He wanted to bring the metal to him, wrap it around him, and never let go. But he needed to get out more than anything, because even in his adrenaline-rushed daze he knew that if he was separated from his mutation again, he wouldn't make it. He'd rather die. 

So Erik gritted his teeth and pressed on, following the boy who wouldn’t shut up. He staggered, falling against the wall, trying to regain his balance as his mutation burst out of control. Too many images flashed in front of his eyes, a nickel on the floor above him, 27 bullets in a guard's gun, the water pipes threading through the building. It was a good kind of pain, the kind you get after a long run. But it hurt too much, and Erik would have given in screaming if he wasn't trying so hard to push past the pain and get out. 

Hands, attached to leather bracelets with metal studs around it, a long jacket zipper and a Walkman. The boy, he realized. The boy pulled Erik’s hands away from his face. When did he cover his eyes? The world rushed back into him, white light slamming into him with metal lighting up in his brain like fireworks crackling. Erik choked down a pain filled cry. That's why. That's why he closed his eyes. 

It felt like he was drowning. For a second he could feel the iron in his blood, pulsating through his body for a moment of blessed silence. But then sounds assaulted his ears. Two rings rubbing together, the screech of an elevator descending, a metal tray hitting the ground, keys clicking together, hundreds of metal sounds clashing together in a symphony of sweet pain. It was too loud. Everything was _so loud._

_“Stop stop stop stop stop,”_ He vaguely realized that he was muttering, and that the boy was still holding his hands away from his face. Erik wanted to claw out his eardrums until there was nothing but the steady thrum of blood, and he thrashed, trying to get away from the boy’s grip, but the years of prison left him too weak and he went limp. He tried to focus on his breathing, to sort through the noise and feelings and metal, and he stared at the floor. In, out. In, out. In, out. Erik could see the metal layer of the floor underneath the tile, he heard someone drop a fork in the room below him. He could taste pennies in the back of his throat. It felt like he was floating away from his body. 

The world snapped back into focus when he felt something hit the side of his face. Erik shook his head, blinking rapidly at the panicked teenager crouched down in front of him. He somehow ended up on his knees during his sensory overload.

“Sorry man, you were freaking me out!” 

Erik opened his mouth to respond, but instead he leaned forward and vomited what little he had in his stomach. His head was throbbing, and all he wanted to do was wrap himself in a metal cocoon and sleep for a year. But he was done enough sleeping, and he needed to get out, so he determinedly wiped his mouth on his prison outfit and pushed himself up. 

“Dude, are you okay?” The boy was fluttering around him with that inhuman speed, and the fact that there was a fellow mutant by his side offered him a small comfort, a lifeline he mentally clung to as he tried to block the metal out. Erik envisioned making a mental dam in his mind, holding back his mutation block by block. He took a deep breath and sealed it. It felt like he was holding back an ocean with a piece of cardboard, and he could already feel small trickles leaking out of the side. Such as when he was blindsided by the paperclips he felt shifting in the boy’s pocket, but he exhaled and opened his eyes, feeling a lot calmer than he was before.

“Are you okay???” The boy repeated, worry flickering across his face, visible even with those ridiculous goggles of his. Erik let out a couple of rapid, shaky breaths and nodded. 

“Come on, we gotta get outta here.” The boy started dragging Erik along. He felt his pride sting; he would have protested, snapped something about not being an invalid, but the way it hurt to move, all his muscles aching, quieted his tongue. He followed, trying to concentrate more on the steps he was taking than the shaky mental barrier that felt more fragile by the second. Only a little while longer, he told himself, and then he’d be free, and he wouldn’t have to worry about being isolated from the one stable thing in his life again. 

It felt both like ages and seconds until they finally reached ‘the rendezvous point,’ as the boy referred to it. Erik wasn’t sure what he expected- maybe his brotherhood finally got its act together and staged a rescue- but coming face to face with Charles was definitely not on his mind. He felt a confusing tide of hatred, relief, and yes, lust, rise in his mind. Ten years in solitary will do that to you. 

Charles socked him right in the jaw, the pain momentarily grounding him back to reality. But when he felt his face and grinned, standing up with a snarky comment, he looked to the room ahead. That was a mistake. 

Several things happened at once. He was flooded with metal, and he closed his eyes against the mental onslaught. It was a kitchen, the whole damn room was practically made of metal. He felt so alive, finally seeing and feeling the blissful light of metal after so many years in empty darkness. His world exploded, the mental dam burst, and the room spun around him. Erik opened his eyes and turned to Charles helplessly, instinctively reaching out. He saw blue eyes widen in worry before everything was swallowed up by darkness and he collapsed onto the floor, a puppet with its strings cut.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to my wonderful beta nepetation! Not sure how many chapters this will be, but get ready for a fun and wild ride!  
> And thank you so much to all of you who leave kudos/comments! You guys are awesome


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